Saturday morning saw Debbie laying snug in her bed,  looking back on the previous few days.   After her evening with Stevo,  and the three of them talking things over at the gym, She'd been worried half out of her mind at first.   It was all just a lot to take in.

The first thing she did,  that began to ease her stress level,  was speak to her Dad.   She told him that she wanted to go back to university and give teacher training a go,  as her mother had often suggested to her.   Surprising her completely,  her father,  usually quit stoic and unemotional,  had thrown his arms around her and wept.

"Your Mum would be so happy!   She will be watching over you I'm sure. "  He said,  before releasing the hug. 

"Don't worry about the internship,  I will square it at work tomorrow.   It's June already,  so you need to focus on your applications." 

"Thanks Dad,  I am going to start looking at courses online this week,  and decide where to apply.   I'm thinking about teaching in Primary School,  like Mum." 

So just like that,  Deb now had her days free to train and plan for the struggle to come.   Her sister,  Claire,  was also pleased to hear about Debbie's plan.   She was seeing a guy called Will at the moment,  a footballer for the local club.   Although they were a lower league team, he was a bit of a local celebrity and he made good money.   Claire seemed to revel in the attention she was getting,  and he seemed to be treating her well,  so Debbie was pleased for her.   Good that she has some fun while she can,  thought Deb with a frown. 

She'd made it to the other place (They needed to find out its name!) and done an easy mission to get back into the swing of things.   It had been a simple overnight guard patrol in Green Hills.  Very uneventful, she'd heard some sort of large creature howling in the distance,  but it never approached her patrol route.   She'd pocketed a silver coin and 20xp for doing very little,  so she couldn't complain. 

Debbie looked at her status screen. 

Debbie (Citizen)

Level 2

Experience (XP) 55/70

Intelligence 12

Strength 14

Stamina 15

Agility / Dexterity 12

Luck 12

Charisma 12

Health 48/48

Skills: Sudden Strike level 1.

Items:

Basic Clothing.

Backpack

Glow Ring

Mace

3 Potions of Minor Healing.

4 Silver, 8 copper.

She was in good shape,  and only needed another fifteen xp to level up.   The temptation to do another easy guard mission was strong,  but she also wanted some sort of combat practice.  In a matter of months she would be fighting for her life,  and the lives of her family.   Better prepare now.  

Her mission choices were:

Option 1.  A group of bandits have been seen outside Drebun,  join a group to drive them off,  away from the settlement. 

Danger: moderate.   Reward:  1 silver,  3 copper,  25xp

Option 2.  A wolf pack has been sighted close to Green Hills.  Protect a local farmer's Chickens overnight. 

Danger: Moderate.  Reward:  1 silver,  30xp

Option 3.  A wolf pack has been sighted close to Green Hills.  Kill at least 2 wolves to drive them away from the settlement. 

Danger: High.   Reward 1 silver,  1 bonus item, 40xp

Straight away,  Debbie was interested in the third option.   A bonus item sounded interesting,  and forty xp was massive.   Could she really take on a pack of wolves solo though?   If she had a ranged weapon like a bow,  perhaps.   With a mace it would be unlikely though. 

She read the options again,  and decided to give the first option a try.   Stevo had a bit of a thing for Drebun,  so it would be nice to get a better feel for the place.   Maybe she would meet the guard that Stevo had befriended?

She felt herself falling.

Debbie was sitting at a large table near the back of the inn.   There were several others sitting around the table,  but a few spaces remaining.  She took a sip from the pewter cup that was in front of her.   Some sort of fruit drink,  a compote.   If there was any alcohol content,  it was extremely low.  Two figures approached the table and sat.   The first person was obviously the guard Stevo had told her about,  he looked like a younger, less rotund version of the innkeeper,  who was apparently his father.   As he sat,  Deb was able to get a first clear look at the second figure.   Stevo!  He nodded at the others around the table,  and gave Debbie a sneaky wink as he took his place.  This would be interesting!

The table fell silent and focused as the guard started to speak. 

"A gang of thieves has sep up camp in the woods outside the village.  They seem to be moving from place to place in this region robbing and killing as they go.   They tend to attack Inns most frequently.   Usually close to closing time when the customers are drunk and weary, and their coins have found their way into the cash box.   They steal the cash box,  bottles of booze,  any valuables that catch their eye,  and they kill anyone who resists."

Deb glanced around the table as saw only hardened faces and determination.   They wouldn't find Drebun an easy target.

"Our plan is a simple one.   We will spread ourselves throughout the inn,  and we'll not be drinking alcohol.  My father will serve us cups of this fruit compote,  which has the appearance and smell of wine,  but will not inhibit us.   When the gang are all inside and begin the robbery,  we'll strike.   They have had a few successes,  and will be complacent.   Have no mercy,  as they will show you none!"

The group mingled with the villagers whilst waiting for the gang to make an appearance.   Deb noticed Stevo drawing several looks from a hooded woman sitting  in one of the corners.   She hadn't moved from her spot all evening,  despite the innkeeper bringing her several mugs of what passed for beer in these parts.  She must have a magically enhanced bladder!   Deb thought with a chuckle,  as she approached the bar to get her own cup refilled.

At that moment the door swung open and five of the ugliest,  dirtiest,  soon to be deadest men Debbie had ever set eyes on strode in.   The tallest,  a large man by the standards of this world,  at about six feet tall,  but thin with a somewhat malnourished appearance, called out.

"Everyone stay where you are.   Put your money on the nearest table,  and you will live to see dawn.  Perhaps."  The "perhaps" added a particularly sinister note,  Deb thought.

One of the lesser members of the group walked towards the bar area where Deb was standing,  sliding piles of coins off the tables into a leather pouch as he went.

"Where's your money girl?   Or do you want to play a little first?"  As he spoke the stench of stale beer and unwashed human hit her,  he reeked!   Leering unpleasantly,  he reach a hand towards her.   Deb's Sudden Strike skill kicked in,  and in a flash her mace flew in an upward arc,  smashing the thiefs jaw on contact.   He fell like a sack of potatoes,  and lay unconscious, maybe dead,  flat on his back. 

The inn momentarily was silent as the shock of what happened sank in.   The rest of the thieves drew their weapons,  but their reactions were slightly too slow.   The village guard cutting the throat of one of the thrives,  as Stevo blocked a knife thrust at his abdomen,  breaking the arm holding it. 

The leader of the group had not been idle however,  and had slashed the face of one of the defenders with a wickedly sharp looking blade,  before stabbing a villager who didn't get out of the way in time.   A nasty stomach wound.   The leader had almost made it to the door,  when Stevo swung his club in a horizontal arc like a baseball player trying for a home-run.   The thief managed to lean backward far enough to avoid his head being smashed in,  but not far enough to avoid the very tip of Stevo's club destroying the oversized nose on his already scarred face.   He was a bloody mess,  disoriented,  and had no way of reacting as one of the defenders,  a short, chubby, grey-bearded  man with an axe,  buried the blade in his skull, ending the fight in an instant. 

The inn was a scene of carnage.   The thieves all dead,  blood splattered across several surfaces.   The injured villagers being tended to by their friends. 

"Fancy meeting you here!". Stevo commented to Deb with a slight smile. "Nice work starting things off,  your mace moved so fast,  I barely even saw it!" 

"It's a skill I have called Sudden Strike,  it worked pretty well,  I think the pervert was dead before he hit the ground.  I got 5xp for killing him as soon as I hit him!" 

"I got 2xp for breaking that guy's nose,  and another 2xp for breaking his mate's arm before he got finished off" 

The guard approached them. 

"Good work you two,  I  didn't realise you knew each other.   Stevo,  do you happen to have another of those healing potions you gave me?   Jacoob over there has lost a lot of blood and it's not looking good."  He frowned,  grimly. 

Before Stevo had time to answer,  Debbie had a potion in her hand,  offering it to the guard.

"What about the guy with the cut face,  does he need one?" Stevo asked. 

"Aalek?  He'll be fine,  it's not a deep cut, and he likes scars!" 

In all the commotion,  nobody noticed the hooded woman as she walked past them and slipped out of the door.   She made a small, almost inperceptible motion with her hand as she passed Stevo.   Something so small it was unnoticed,  but with grave consequences for everyone.

The stabbed villager, Jacob,  had been given the potion,  and his wound had quickly stopped bleeding.   He looked weak and pale,  but no longer had the deathly grey skin he'd had minutes ago.

"Thanks once again for your help.  I guess you'll be leaving in a moment."

"No problem,  I'm Debbie by the way.   You know Stevo already,  what's your name?"

"Gregoor", answered the guard,  "and now I owe both you and Stevo!"

"We don't keep score,  Gregoor.   We just do what's needed."

As the words left Stevo's lips,  they were falling.